Managing user access to shared storage in multi-platform environments can be daunting even for the most experienced IT professionals, however standardizing on a single storage platform for the sake of simplicity can be constricting to users and prevent the adoption of new and better technologies as they become available.

Since operating systems differ in their usability, resiliency and optimized use cases, it makes sense that system administrators have their preferences when it comes to which client and server operating systems to deploy. Not only are individual operating systems purpose-built for what they are good at, but administrator training and experience play a role as well. Read more…

In an earlier blog, I argued for changing the understanding of cloud to be less about the technology of cloud and focusing more on cloud as an extension of strategy. The challenge is how to get consensus within an organization. How to develop the set of principles needed to focus organizational attention requires a common set of operational experiences. The best approach is to focus on creating active prototypes to establish what works in practice. Such an approach will more likely ensure that the cloud delivers a genuinely valuable business outcome. This may seem like an oversimplification but the reality is that with a strong set of operating principles and hands-on experience, it will be easier to make sense of and chose a durable cloud business and technology strategy.

In my last blog post, we took a look back at the advances that have been made in tape technology over the past 60 years. In this post, we’ll look at why tape storage still remains a critical part of the IT data protection infrastructure.

Studies show that 80-90% of the data we create is never accessed again. Nonetheless, as data retention requirements become more stringent in accordance with industry compliance laws (i.e., SOX or HIPPA) and corporate regulation, companies must store all of their data for longer periods of time—sometimes forever. This quickly snowballs into petabytes and exabytes of data that require storage, and disk-based solutions are simply too expensive for storing that much data. In addition, users can’t afford to clog up their networks and servers with that mass of “less critical” data when they often have an immediate need for a smaller set of critical data.

With the amount of data being stored continuing to grow exponentially, tape offers some inherent advantages over disk-based technologies for long-term data storage, including:

High capacity: LTO tape cartridges can now store up to 6.25TB on a single tape. With Overland Storage’s NEO library, companies can now store over 6PB in less than 14 sq. ft. of data center floor space.

Fast performance: Data can now be retrieved in a matter of seconds or just a few minutes with the ability to move data at speeds of over 1TB/hr. per tape drive. Read more…

Effective information and data management requires continual improvement. Today’s best practices and procedures were built over time. Yet, the only constant is change. Regularly updating, pruning and jettisoning practices is necessary for corporations to keep up with opportunities and challenges. In this regard, here are five data management traps and what to do about them.

1. Charge-back instead of charge-forward: IT has historically assessed charges after services have been rendered. IT needs to be more forward acting. How? By offering services like public service providers do. IT will need to clearly and transparently communicate the cost of services and Business Units will need to agree and even pay upfront for resources, actions and professional services.

2. Resource allocation: Resources have usually been viewed as being owned by IT. IT needs to get out of the business of fine-tuning resource consumption and instead make all resources available via self-service infrastructures that charge on demand.

3. Data management sinkholes: Data needs managing but as the expression goes, “Nothing is impossible for people who do not have to do it themselves.” IT has frequently labored at great cost and even to the detriment of meeting strategic initiatives to perform data management tasks like migration or record cleanups. IT has to evolve to enable and enforce having Business Units take on the responsibility for data management.

4. Server virtualization at all costs: Server virtualization is no panacea. Server virtualization can actually be harmful if virtual resource management ignores the real physical constraints or requirements of underlying technology.

5. Let data speak for itself: IT could dramatically benefit corporations by developing systems to better extract information from data. IT could provide a service where they serve as information curators to help Business Units make best use of information assets.